Construction elements

ABSTRACT

A construction element is provided for forming a corner of a surface of a building, the surface including wall panels attached to framing studs. The construction element includes: a corner-forming surface that that is shaped to extend, in a cross-sectional view, between two separate wall panels, such that ends of the corner-forming surface, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, substantially match respective corners of the wall panels. The construction element may be provided in multiple sections that are placed end to end and connected together.

This application claims the priority benefit of provisional application No. 62/571,673 filed Oct. 12, 2017, and of U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/100,395, filed Aug. 9, 2018, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to construction elements for residential and commercial buildings and, more specifically, elements and methods for creating rounded corners with a greater radius to provide softer, flowing corners within a constructed building, as compared with square corners or rounded corners with a small radius such as 1.5 inches or less. The construction element may be used both vertically and horizontally in any space that requires a corner or where a bend or curve is desired in a wall, ceiling, or the like (hereinafter collectively referred to as “wall”).

In all constructed buildings there are places within the building where at least two walls intersect. When the walls intersect it is necessary to put a corner on those walls to hide the exposed place where often two pieces of drywall come together on a wood or metal stud, or other type of vertical brace (hereinafter referred to as “stud”). In many instances a rounded bead or square bead is utilized to lie over or across the two pieces of dry wall to create a smooth corner. A smooth corner may be rounded or it may be sharp but is intended to cover the edge of two edges of dry wall where multiple walls intersect.

In some construction buildings there are bends in a wall, or curves in a wall that are gradual and rounded and the wall bends around a corner having a relatively large radius, such as 2″ or more. These elongated bends may be substantially different than the straight walls that simply form a straight plane. The elongated curved walls are often constructed with wood or metal studs to form the desired curvature of the wall. Multiple studs may be required to manipulate to the desired curvature. Drywall is then also required to be bent at the proper curvature as well to be fastened to the studs. Often the wood studs and/or the drywall must be water treated, so as not to break and so the proper curvature can be made to the desired curvature of the wall.

Current construction elements would make it difficult, if not impossible to create sharper bends around a corner of two walls intersecting but less sharp then a long curvature of an entire length of a wall. Specifically within residential construction, creating a large-radius bend or curve around a corner becomes very difficult given the current products typically available for construction.

SUMMARY

The disclosure relates to construction elements and methods for making bends and curves in constructed walls and at wall intersections. The construction elements allow for a simple “drop in place” solution for creating aesthetically pleasing walls with large-radius curves in the design of the constructed building. The construction elements may be utilized to provide bends and curves in walls without needing to wet and bend drywall and/or wooden studs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a blown-apart view of wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a corner construction element;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a corner construction element;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 5 a plan view of a partially assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a corner construction element;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of an end cap construction element;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an end cap construction element;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of an end cap construction element;

FIG. 12 is a blown-apart view of wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a corner construction element;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a corner construction element;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of a corner construction element;

FIG. 18 is a side view of a corner construction element, as viewed in the direction of arrow A1 of FIG. 17 , installed between a floor and a ceiling;

FIG. 19 illustrates a potential problem in installing a corner construction element between a floor and a ceiling;

FIG. 20 illustrates a corner construction element comprising multiple sections being installed between a floor and a ceiling;

FIG. 21 is a side view of a portion of a corner construction element;

FIG. 22 illustrates a corner construction element according to FIG. 21 being installed between a floor and a ceiling;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a first section of a corner construction element;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a second section of a corner construction element;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of first and second sections of a corner construction element connected together;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of first and second sections of a corner construction element connected together;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of first and second mating sections of a corner construction element that connect together;

FIG. 28 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element;

FIG. 29 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element;

FIG. 30 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element;

FIG. 31 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 32 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 33 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 34 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 35 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element;

FIG. 36 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element; and

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of a corner construction element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In various embodiments described below, a construction element is provided for forming a corner of an interior surface of a building, the interior surface including wall panels attached to framing studs. The construction element may include: a corner-forming surface that is shaped to extend, in a cross-sectional view, between two separate wall panels, such that ends of the corner-forming surface, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, substantially match respective corners of the wall panels.

FIG. 1 is a blown-apart view of wall structure 100 including a corner construction element 102. The wall structure 100 includes studs 104, which may be standard 2×4 or 2×6 wood or metal studs commonly used in the construction industry, for example, according to known framing techniques. Interior wall panels 1062 are attached to an inside corner formed by the studs 104, and exterior wall panels 1064 are attached to an outside corner formed by the studs 104. “Exterior” and “outside” in this context include surfaces that are inside a building structure, and do not necessarily refer to an exterior wall of a building structure. Thus, the wall structure 100 may be the structure of an interior wall of a building, which may or may not be a load-bearing wall (i.e., a wall that bears the weight of structural elements above it).

The walls panels 1062 and 1064 may be commonly used drywall panels, sometimes called gypsum panels, such as SHEETROCK brand drywall panels. Other types of wall panels are also acceptable.

The corner construction element 102 attaches to an outside corner formed by the studs 104 as shown. Fasteners 108, which may be standard drywall nails or drywall screws, pass through a wall panel 1064, through a leg portion of the corner construction element 102 as described in more detail below, and into a stud 104. The corner construction element 102 may be pre-attached to the studs 104 by one or more fasteners 108 prior to installation of the wall panels 1064 to hold the corner construction element 102 in place while the wall panels 1064 are positioned and attached. That is, first, the corner construction element 102 may be positioned relative to the studs 104, then one or more fasteners 108 passed through one or both leg portions of the corner construction element 102, then the wall panels 1064 positioned relative to the corner construction element 102 and studs 104, then other fasteners 108 passed through respective ones of the wall panels 1064, through respective ones of the leg portions of the corner construction element 102, and into respective ones of the studs 104. Alternatively, if the corner construction element 102 can be held in place without pre-attaching it to the studs 104 as described above, the pre-attachment step can be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the corner construction element 102. The corner construction element 102 includes leg portions 1022 (fastener strips) and a curved portion 1026 (corner-forming surface). Step portions 1024 connect respective ones of the leg portions 1022 to the curved portion 1026. The width of the step portions 1024 is preferably equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of standard drywall sheets. Standard drywall sheets typically have a thickness of ½″ or ⅝″ for vertical walls, or ⅜″ or ½″ for ceilings. An advantage to having the width of the step portions 1024 be slightly larger than the thickness of the wall panels 1064 to be used is that when drywall tape and drywall compound (also known as “drywall mud”) are applied over the seam between the corner construction element 102 and the wall panels 1064, there is a depression formed at the seam to accommodate the tape and compound. For example, the step portions 1024 may be in a range of about 1/16″ to about ⅛″ larger than the thickness of the wall panels 1064 to be used.

A facing layer 1028 may be applied along the outer curvature of the curved portion 1026, and may be attached to the curved portion 1026 by adhesive, for example. The facing layer 1028 may be of heavy paper material, for example, or of fiberglass or thin plastic material such as vinyl or PVC, or of a composite of two or more of these materials or other materials. In some embodiments, the facing layer 1028 may be applied as a spray-on layer that hardens to a desired texture. An advantage of the facing layer 1028 is that the outer layer of the corner construction element 102 may be similar or identical to the outer layer of the wall panels 1064 in terms of characteristics such as texture, absorption or the like, making it easier to create a uniform appearance around the outer corner of the wall structure 100 when priming, painting or the like. However, in some embodiments, the facing layer 2018 may be omitted, and the outer corner of the wall structure 100 may be finished by applying primer, paint or other coating material directly to the material of the curved portion 1026.

The corner construction element 102 may be made of a thin, somewhat rigid material, such as metal, fiberglass, or plastic material such as vinyl or PVC, or of a composite of two or more of these materials or other materials. It may be bent into its final shape from a flat piece of material, or extruded into the desired shape.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a corner construction element 102 that is the same as that described in connection with FIG. 2 , except that the corner construction element 102 of FIG. 3 additionally has wing portions 1029 extending from ends of the curved portion 1026. The flexible wing portions 1029 may be an extension of the material of the facing layer 1028. Alternatively, the wing portions 1029 may be a separate layer, of material the same as or different from that of the facing layer 1028, such as paper material, fiberglass, or plastic material such as vinyl or PVC, or of a composite of two or more of these materials or other materials, attached to the curved portion 1026 or to the step portions 1024. When attached as a separate layer to the curved portion 1026, the wing portions 1029 may be attached to the outer surface of the facing layer 1028 by adhesive, for example, or may be sandwiched between the curved portion 1026 and the facing layer 1028. In some embodiments, the curved portion 1026, the wing portions 1029, the step portions 1024 and the leg portions 1022 may be formed of the same material. For example, these portions may all be formed of plastic material, such as vinyl or PVC, and formed together as one piece by extrusion or another forming method.

The wing portions 1029 may have an adhesive layer, covered by a release layer 1030 that may be peeled off to expose the adhesive layer, so that the wing portions 1029 may be adhered to the wall panels 1064 as described hereafter. Alternatively, instead of using an adhesive layer, the wing portions 1029 may be attached to the wall panels 1064 using a thin layer of drywall compound, according to known techniques.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 102. The corner construction element 102 may have a radius up to about 4 inches, and preferably at least 2 inches, such as any radius from 2 to 4 inches in increments of ⅛″. The inside curved surface of the corner construction element 102 may be in contact with the corner stud 104 as shown, for greater rigidity of the finished corner of the wall structure. The corner stud 104 is shown having a rounded corner to reflect the fact that most 2×4 wood studs have slightly rounded edges (although the depiction of the rounded edge may be somewhat exaggerated in this drawing), and the corner construction element 102 may contact the rounded edge instead of the corner of a theoretically perfectly rectangular-cross-section stud. Metal studs may be closer to perfectly rectangular in cross section, and for metal stud applications a corner construction element 102 may be used that has a slightly smaller radius of curvature to better fit against the corner of a metal corner stud 104.

As depicted in FIG. 4 , and as described above, fasteners 108 pass through the exterior wall panels 1064, through the leg portions 1022, and into the studs 104. The interior wall panels 1062 are attached directly to the studs 104 by additional fasteners 108. Additional studs 104 may be spaced along the intersecting wall sections as depicted, and may have a center-to-center spacing of 16″ or 24″, for example, according to common framing techniques. The four studs 104 forming the corner of the frame may be attached together using framing nails (not shown) or other suitable fasteners.

The wall panels 1062 and 1064 may have tapered edges, as in common in drywall panels, to form a recess for accommodating drywall tape and drywall compound to facilitate the drywall finishing process. As described above, the width of the step portions 1024 of the corner construction element 102 may be slightly larger than the thickness of the wall panels 1064. If desired, different corner construction elements 102 with different widths of the step portions 1024 may be provided, depending on whether wall panels 1064 with tapered edges or untapered edges are to be used.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a partially assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 102. In this structure, a slightly different framing technique is used, in which three studs 104 are used to form the corner of the frame, and one stud 104 is offset with respect to the other two. In this construction, the radius of the curved portion 1026 of the corner construction element 102 may be larger than in the structure shown in FIG. 4 . For example, the radius of the curved portion 1026 of the corner construction element 102 may be up to about 6 inches, and preferably at least 2 inches, such as any radius from 2 to 6 inches in increments of ⅛″. Although not depicted, interior wall panels 1062 may be attached directly to the studs 104 at the inside corner as in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 102. The structure of FIG. 6 is the same as that of FIG. 4 , except that the corner construction element 102 includes wing portions 1029 as shown in FIG. 3 . The wing portions 1029 have been attached to the wall panels 1064 after installation of the wall panels 1064, thereby covering the seam between the wall panels 1064 and the corner construction element 102.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a corner construction element 102′. Instead of a curved portion 1026, the corner-forming surface 1026 connecting the step portions 1024 is straight instead of curved. It will be appreciated that an alternate framing technique, such as the one depicted in FIG. 5 , will be needed in the case of the corner construction element 102′.

Although the corner construction elements shown in FIGS. 1-7 are designed for corners of walls that intersect each other substantially at 90°, corner construction elements may be made for corners of walls that intersect each other at other angles, such as 30°, 45° or 60°.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of an end cap construction element 102″. The end cap construction element 102″ has leg portions 1022 that are substantially parallel to each other, instead of being substantially perpendicular to each other as in the corner construction elements 102 shown in FIGS. 1-6 . The curved portion 1026 of the end cap construction element 102″ extends in a substantially semicircular or elliptic shape and connects the step portions 1024, and the facing layer 1028 extends along the entirety of the curved portion 1026.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including the end cap construction element 102″. The wall structure may be the structure of a partition wall that ends in a free space, instead of joining at its end to another wall section, or may be the side of of a doorway or window opening. The inside curved surface of the end cap construction element 102″ may be in contact with the end stud 104 as shown, for greater rigidity of the finished end cap of the wall structure.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an end cap construction element 102″. The end cap construction element 102′″ has leg portions 1022 that are substantially parallel to each other, as with the element 102″ shown in FIGS. 8-9 . The portion 1026 of the end cap construction element 102′″ extends in a substantially trapezoidal shape or other polygonal shape and connects the step portions 1024, and the facing layer 1028 extends along the entirety of the portion 1026. The end cap construction element 102″ may be incorporated in a wall structure that is otherwise similar to that shown in FIG. 9 .

FIG. 11 is a plan view of an end cap construction element 102″ that is the same as that shown in FIG. 8 , except that that the end cap construction element 102 includes wing portions 1029 as shown in FIG. 3 . The end cap construction element 102″ may be incorporated in a wall structure that is otherwise similar to that shown in FIG. 9 , and the wing portions 1029 may be attached to the wall panels 1064 after installation of the wall panels 1064, thereby covering the seam between the wall panels 1064 and end cap construction element 102″.

FIG. 12 is a blown-apart view of wall structure including a corner construction element 202. The corner construction element 202 has fastener-engaging elements 2022 (fastener strips), and also a fastener-engaging element 2024. Fasteners 108 pass first through respective ones of wall studs 104 and then into respective ones of the fastener-engaging elements 2022. Wall panels 1062 and 1064 may be attached to the studs 104 as shown using fasteners 108, and the wall panels 1062 may be attached to the fastener-engaging element 2024 using additional fasteners 108 (which may be of a different length, such as a shorter length, than the fasteners that attach the wall studs to the corner construction element 202).

A facing layer 2026 may be applied along the outer curvature (corner-forming surface, which is not separately labeled in this embodiment) of the corner construction element 202, and may be attached to the corner construction element 202 by adhesive, for example. The facing layer 2026 may be of heavy paper material, for example, or any other known or later-developed material, and may be a spray-on layer that hardens to a desired texture and/or hardness. For example, the facing layer 2026 may have a hardness greater than that of the underlying material, such as in the case of a foam material that is described hereafter. The facing layer 2026 may have an adhesive layer, covered by a release layer 2027 that may be peeled off to expose the adhesive layer, so that the facing layer 2026 may be adhered to the corner construction element 202. Alternatively, the release layer 2027 may be omitted.

An advantage of the facing layer 2026 is that the outer layer of the corner construction element 202 may be similar or identical to the outer layer of the wall panels 1064 in terms of characteristics such as texture, hardness, absorption or the like, making it easier to create a uniform appearance around the outer corner of the wall structure when priming, painting or the like. However, in some embodiments, the facing layer 2026 may be omitted, and the outer corner of the wall structure may be finished by applying primer, paint or other coating material directly to the material of the corner construction element 202.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the corner construction element 202. The corner construction element 202 includes a body 2020 that may be formed of foam material, such as polystyrene foam material. The body 2020 is a solid body, meaning that it is not formed from a sheet of thin material that has been formed into a desired shape, and/or that the body 2020 occupies an entire space of a corner joint, such that no stud of one wall that is part of the corner connects directly to a stud of another wall that is part of the corner. (In contrast, for example, the construction elements 102 shown in FIGS. 1-6 are not “solid bodies” as that term is used in this disclosure.) The polystyrene foam material may be in the form of expanded polystyrene (also called “EPS”) or extruded polystyrene (also called “XPS”). Other foam materials include polyethylene foam. Another possible material for the body 2020 is a molded paper pulp material, such as the paper pulp material that some egg cartons are made of. Another possible material for the body 2020 is solid polymer material, including any natural or synthetic polymers. Such polymers include (i) plastics such as acrylic, polycarbonate, polyethylene (PE), including low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and (ii) any suitable plant-based resin or other resin material. The above-described foam materials may also be considered as polymer materials, but for purposes of this disclosure, the term “solid polymer material” will be used to refer to polymers such plastics and resins other than the foam materials listed above. Another possible material for the body 2020 is wood, including wood fiber products such as particle board or fiber board (including low density fiber board (LDF) or medium density fiber board (MDF). Such wood fiber products can be manufactured by known or later-developed processes including mixing wood particles together with resin and other additives and then forming them into a desired shape using heated molds or dies, for example. Other or later-developed materials are also possible, provided that they can hold the desired shape. The body 2020, when formed of foam material, may be cut from a larger block of foam material, by a known method such as hot wire cutting, or may be formed directly into its final shape during an extrusion forming process, for example. In short, any known or later-develop materials may be used, and any known or later-developed processes may be used for forming the selected material into the desired shape.

In embodiments in which the body 2020 is made of foam material or another material than can be cut by a hot wire, spaces for the fastener-engaging elements 2022 can also be made by a hot wire. Spaces 2023 show paths through which a hot wire has passed before forming spaces for the respective fastener-engaging elements 2022. In other embodiments, foam or another material can be molded around the fastener-engaging elements 2022.

The fastener-engaging element 2024 may be attached to the body 2020 by an adhesive, for example. Additionally, although the fastener-engaging elements 2022 are shown and described above as passing through an interior of the body 2020, in other embodiments they may be attached to exterior faces of the body 2020 by an adhesive, for example, and not pass through the interior of the body 2020.

The fastener-engaging elements 2022 and 2024 may be made of metal or plastic material such as vinyl or PVC, for example, and may have a relatively small thickness, in a range of from about 0.2 mm to about 3 mm, for example, provided that they are sufficient to hold a fastener that has passed through them. In other embodiments, the fastener-engaging elements 2022 and 2024 may be made of other material sprayed on or attached by adhesive. Some embodiments may not include fastener-engaging elements 2022 and/or 2024, if the material of the body 2020 can adequately hold the fastener, or if the body 2020 is attached to the studs directly by an adhesive acting as a fastener, for example. The subsequent application of drywall tape and/or compound, particularly when wing portions are included as described below, further strengthens the connection between the corner construction element 202. Thus, particularly if the final wall assembly is not expected to be subjected to heavy pressure or jostling, for example, the fastener-engaging elements may be omitted.

At each end of the curved surface of the body 2020 there may be formed a recess 2028 to accommodate drywall tape and drywall compound that cover the seam between the corner construction element 202 and wall panels.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a corner construction element 202 that is the same as that described in connection with FIG. 13 , except that the corner construction element 202 of FIG. 14 additionally has wing portions 2029 extending from ends of the curved surface of the body 2020. The flexible wing portions 2029 may be an extension of the material of the facing layer 2026. Alternatively, the wing portions 2029 may be a separate layer, of material the same as or different from that of the facing layer 2026, attached to the curved surface of the body 2020 or to the flat end surfaces of the body 2020. When attached as a separate layer to the curved surface of the body 2020, the wing portions 1029 may be attached to the outer surface of the facing layer 2026, or may be sandwiched between the body 2020 and the facing layer 2026.

The wing portions 2029 may have an adhesive layer, covered by a release layer 2030 that may be peeled off to expose the adhesive layer, so that the wing portions 2029 may be adhered to the wall panels 1064 as described hereafter. Alternatively, instead of using an adhesive layer, the wing portions 2029 may be attached to the wall panels 1064 using a thin layer of drywall compound, according to known techniques.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 202. The corner construction element 102 may have a radius of at least about 2 inches and up to about 16 inches, such as any radius from 2 to 16 inches in increments of ⅛″, for 2×4 walls, or at least about 2 inches and up to about 30 inches, such as any radius from 2 to 30 inches in increments of ⅛″, for 2×6 walls. 2×4 walls and 2×6 walls are mentioned here because they are common in the construction industry, but of course any other desired wall thickness is acceptable, in which case the radius of the corner construction element 102 would be adjusted appropriately. In each case, the radius of curvature is selected to be in a range such that the minimum thickness of the body 2020, which generally will be at the middle of the curved surface, is sufficient for the body 2020 not to easily break during handling and installation.

As depicted in FIG. 15 , and as described above, fasteners 108 pass first through respective ones of wall studs 104 and then into respective ones of the fastener-engaging elements 2022. The fasteners 108 may be common nails, or, for a more secure holding effect, the fasteners 108 may be commonly known ring-shank nails and/or cement-coated nails, or screws, for example. In some embodiments, a strong adhesive can be used as a fastener.

Wall panels 1062 and 1064 may be attached to the studs 104 as shown using fasteners 108, and the wall panels 1062 may be attached to the fastener-engaging element 2024 using additional fasteners 108.

The wall panels 1062 and 1064 may have tapered edges, as is common in drywall panels, to form a recess for accommodating drywall tape and drywall compound to facilitate the drywall finishing process. Finishing of the outside corner (e.g., applying drywall tape and drywall compound to the seams between the corner construction element 202 and the wall panels 1064) is particularly facilitated when the tapered wall panel edges abut a corner construction element 202 that includes recesses 2028 as described above.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 202. The structure of FIG. 16 is the same as that of FIG. 15 , except that the corner construction element 202 includes wing portions 2029 as shown in FIG. 14 . The wing portions 1029 have been attached to the wall panels 1064 after installation of the wall panels 1064, thereby covering the seam between the wall panels 1064 and the corner construction element 202.

FIG. 17 is a plan view of another type of corner construction element 202. This corner construction element 202 includes a body 2020 that is a solid body as defined above, but includes hollow sections 2048 within the body 2020. The body 2020 includes a plurality of webs 2040 that define end walls including stud attachment surfaces 2042, an inner wall including an inside surface 2044, and an outer wall including an outside surface 2046. Additional webs, not depicted here, may be provided, e.g., between the inner wall and the outer wall, and/or between the inner wall and the end walls, and/or between the outer wall and the end walls. The webs 2040 may be provided in any desired number and/or configuration. For example, rather than defining hollow sections 2062 having the depicted shapes, the webs 2060 may be in a repeating “W” configuration that defines smaller approximately triangular hollow sections 2062. Such a “W” configuration that defines approximately triangular hollow sections can provide a strength advantage, and/or an acoustic advantage (e.g., tapping on a construction element with such a “W” configuration may not produce as much of a “hollow” or “drum” sound as tapping on a construction element with square hollow sections).

The webs 2040 may be provided in any desired thickness. The web thickness may be optimized for any desired variables or parameters, and may vary depending on the type of material used. For example, if the body 2020 is made of foam material, the webs 2040 may be thicker than if the body is made of solid polymer material. Additionally, the webs 2040 defining the end walls including the stud attachment surfaces 2042 may be thicker than other webs, in order to provide more material to which the fasteners 108 may attach. The web thickness preferably is as thin as practical in order to reduce the amount of material used, and thereby to reduce weight and cost. Those skilled in the arts of plastic or resin molding or the like will appreciate that a certain minimum thickness will exist depending on the type of material used, the type of equipment used (e.g., pumps for pumping liquid resin or plastic or the like), the length of material flow paths in any molding or casting process, or the like. Additionally, a certain minimum thickness will exist from the perspective of strength and/or rigidity, which will also depend on the type of material used, the number and/or geometric configuration of webs used, and/or the like.

The corner construction element 202 of FIG. 17 may be formed in any suitable manner, including any suitable plastic or resin molding or casting process. For example, extrusion molding is one possible molding method. However, the disclosure is not limited to any particular forming method.

The corner construction element 202 of FIG. 17 may include recesses 2028 as described above in connection with FIG. 13 , and/or may include a facing layer 2026 (not shown in FIG. 17 ) as described above in connection with other embodiments, and/or may include wing portions 2029 (not shown in FIG. 17 ) as described above in connection with other embodiments.

The corner construction element 202 of FIG. 17 may be assembled into a wall structure in the same manner as the corner construction element 202 shown in FIG. 12 , with the fasteners 108 passing through studs 104 and into the end walls of the body 2020. As described above, if the material of the body 2020 can adequately hold the fastener (such as a solid polymer material), or if the body 2020 is attached to the studs directly by an adhesive acting as a fastener, for example, no fastener-engaging elements 2022 are necessary.

FIG. 18 is a side view of a corner construction element 203, as viewed in the direction of arrow A1 of FIG. 17 , installed between a floor F and a ceiling C. The corner construction element 203 can correspond to any of the corner construction elements 202 described above, or any of the corner construction elements described hereafter. If interior walls including the corner construction element 203 are constructed before a ceiling structure is built above them, then it is easy to install the corner construction element 203 as a single piece.

However, as shown in FIG. 19 , a problem can occur when installing a corner construction element 203 between a floor F and a ceiling C, if both the floor F and the ceiling C are in place before the interior walls are assembled. Specifically, as the corner construction element 203 is raised to an upright position, corners of the ends of the corner construction element 203 can catch on the floor F and the ceiling C, making it difficult or impossible to raise the corner construction element 203 all the way to the upright position without damage to the corner construction element 203, the ceiling C, and/or the floor F.

To avoid such a problem, FIG. 20 illustrates a corner construction element 203 comprising multiple sections (here, two sections 203A and 203B) being installed between the floor F and the ceiling C. For example, first, the lower section 203A may be installed, and subsequently, the upper section 203B may be installed by sliding the upper section 203B between the lower section 203A and the ceiling C in a horizontal direction, as shown by arrow A2. Alternatively, the upper section 203B may be installed first, and then the lower section 203A may be installed by sliding the lower section 203A between the upper section 203B and the floor F in a horizontal direction.

Providing the corner construction element 203 in multiple sections can also lead to other advantages, such as convenience and/or cost reduction in packaging and/or shipping.

FIG. 21 is a side view of a portion of a corner construction element 203C that illustrates another option for addressing the problem shown in FIG. 19 . Specifically, one end of the corner construction element 203C is tapered, at angle α as shown. The tapered end may be formed at the time of manufacturing, or may be cut by an installer at the time of installation. A suitable angle α may be calculated in advance based on the overall geometry and size of the corner construction element 203C, or may be determined by trial and error. In the former case, for example, an angle α of about 22° has been calculated to be effective in at least one embodiment. In the latter case, an installer may cut the taper at a small angle, and then re-cut it at a larger angle if the small angle is not sufficient to allow the corner construction element 203C to raise to an upright position between the floor F and the ceiling C.

As shown in FIG. 22 , the tapered end allows the corner construction element 203C to be raised to an upright position without corners of the ends of the corner construction element 203 catching on the floor F and the ceiling C. After installation, a small gap will be present at the upper end of the corner construction element 203C, but an installer or construction worker can cover this gap with trim, molding (e.g., crown molding that is known in the constructions arts), drywall compound or stucco, or the like.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the section 203B of a corner construction element 203 described above, and FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the section 203A of a corner construction element 203 described above. To attach the sections 203A and 203B together, section 203A is provided with one or more protrusions 2050 (which may be cylindrical as shown, or any other desired shape), and section 203A is provided with one or more recesses 2052 configured to receive the one or more protrusions 2050. The protrusions 2050 and the recesses 2052 may be formed during an initial manufacturing of the sections 203A and 203B, or may be provided after the initial manufacturing. In the latter case, for example, the protrusions 2050 may be attached to the section 203A by screws or other fasteners, or by being inserted into holes drilled in the section 203A, and the recesses 2052 may be formed by drilling or the like.

If the sections 203A and 203B are connected to each other by the protrusions 2050 and the recesses 2052, the sections 203A and 203B are fit together in a direction parallel to their longitudinal axes. This may result in the same difficulty described above in connection with FIG. 19 above. To address this situation, an end of one of the sections, e.g., the section 203B, may be tapered as described above in connection with FIGS. 21 and 22 .

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of first and second sections 203A, 203B of a corner construction element connected together. In this embodiment, the connection structure includes dovetail-shaped slots 2060 formed in ends of the sections 203A and 203B, and keys 2062, with roughly an hourglass-shaped cross section, that slide into the slots 2060 and lock the sections 203A and 203B together. An advantage of this configuration is that the sections 203A and 203B can be installed as shown in FIG. 20 , as described above, and then locked together by inserting the keys 2062. Keys and slots with different cross sections may also be suitable. For example, keys and slots with a square or rectangular cross section may be used. Although keys and slots with a square or rectangular cross section would not lock the sections 203A and 203B in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of the sections 203A and 203B, the assembled sections 203A and 203B could be restrained from movement in that direction by the floor F and the ceiling C.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of first and second sections 203A, 203B of a corner construction element connected together. In this embodiment, the connection structure includes screws or other fasteners (such as nails) 2070 that extend, in a so-called “toenail” fastening configuration, at an angle through (i) an outer surface of one of sections (in this case, section 203B), (ii) an end surface of the one of the sections that faces an end surface of the other section (in this case, section 203A), and (iii) the end surface of other section (in this case, section 203A). Although not depicted, pilot holes may be provided in advance for the fasteners 2070, and recesses may be provided at upper ends of the pilot holes so that heads of the fasteners can be accommodated within the recesses and not protrude from exterior surfaces of the corner construction element. Also, although not depicted, the sections 203A and 203B may have hollow sections 2048 as shown and described above in other embodiments.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of first and second mating sections 203A′ and 203B′ of a corner construction element that connect together. In this embodiment, the connection structure includes protrusions 2080A on section 203A′, which interlock with complementary protrusions 2080B on section 203B′. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 , the sections 203A′ and 203B′ can be installed as shown in FIG. 20 , as described above, by sliding one horizontally relative to the other. In addition to having the protrusions 2080A and 2080B interlocked together, screws or other fasteners may be used to further secure the connection, e.g. as shown in FIG. 26 and described above.

Also, although not depicted, the sections 203A′ and 203B′ may have hollow sections 2048 as shown and described above in other embodiments. The hollow sections may either extend through the protrusions 2080A and 2080B, or the hollow sections may be covered at the ends sections 203A′ and 203B′ by solid end plates that include the protrusions 2080A and 2080B. In the latter case, the solid end plates (i) may be formed separately and then attached to the sections 203A′ and 203B′ by plastic welding, construction adhesive, screws, or any other suitable method and/or structure, or (ii) may be formed integrally with the sections 203A′ and 203B′. In the case of integrally forming the solid end plates with the sections 203A′ and 203B′, any suitable known or later-developed formation method may be used.

Although specific methods and/or structures for connecting together multiple sections of a corner construction element together have been described above with reference to FIGS. 23-27 , various other methods and/or structures are also possible. For example, construction adhesive may be used, either alone or in connection with other methods and/or structures described above, for connecting together multiple sections of a corner construction element. As another example, corrugated nails may also be used, either alone or in connection with other methods and/or structures described above, for connecting together multiple sections of a corner construction element. The corrugated nails would be tapped or pressed in to the corner construction element horizontally, spanning across the seam between, e.g., first and second sections of the corner construction element that are placed vertically adjacent to each other. As another example, by being separately attached to studs, the multiple sections of a corner construction element are indirectly connected together, and may not require a direct connection between them. However, it typically will be preferable to have a direct connection between the multiple sections, so that they do not become misaligned with each other due to warping of the studs, inadvertent impact from a person or object, or the like.

FIG. 28 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element 202″. The wall structure may be the structure of a partition wall that ends in a free space, instead of joining at its end to another wall section, or may be the side of a doorway or window opening. The end cap construction element 202″ is similar to the corner constructions elements 202 described above, except that the body 2020″ of the end cap construction element 202″ has a curved surface that extends between edges of two wall panels 1064 that are substantially parallel to each other. The curved surface in this embodiment may be substantially semicircular, for example, or may be elliptic. Like the body 2020 of the corner constructions elements 202, the body 2020″ may be formed of foam material or solid polymer material, or any other suitable material, and/or may have a facing layer 2026, and/or may have hollow sections and webs.

Additionally, as shown, two fastener-engaging elements 2022 may be provided, although in some embodiments only a single fastener-engaging elements 2022, or more than two fastener-engaging elements 2022, may be provided. In some embodiments, the fastener-engaging elements 2022 are omitted.

FIG. 29 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element 202′″. The end cap construction element 202′″ is similar to the end cap construction element 202″, except that the cross section of body 2020′″ of the end cap construction element 202′″ has a substantially trapezoidal shape or other polygonal shape.

FIG. 30 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including an end cap construction element 202″ that has wing portions 2029. The structure of FIG. 30 is the same as that of FIG. 28 , except that the end cap construction element 202″ includes wing portions 2029, like those described above. The wing portions 2029 have been attached to the wall panels 1064 after installation of the wall panels 1064, thereby covering the seam between the wall panels 1064 and the end cap construction element 202″.

FIG. 31 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 204, which is designed for a non-90° corner, such as a 45° corner. As with the corner construction elements 202 described above, studs 104 are connected to the corner construction element 203 by passing fasteners 108 through the studs 104 and into fastener-engaging elements 2022. Although not depicted in FIG. 31 , the corner construction element 204 may have a facing layer and/or wing portions as described above in connection with the corner construction elements 202. An additional facing layer may be provided on the inside surface 2032. Like the corner constructions elements 202, the corner constructions element 204 may be formed of foam material or solid polymer material, or any other suitable material, and/or may have hollow sections and webs, and/or may omit the fastener-engaging elements 2022.

The inside surface 2042 of the corner construction element 204 in this embodiment is a single flat surface.

FIG. 32 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 204′. The corner construction element 204′ may be the same as the corner construction element 204 described above, except that the inside surface 2042 of the corner construction element 204′ comprises two flat surfaces that meet to define an angled corner as shown. An additional facing layer may be provided on the inside surface 2042′.

FIG. 33 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 204″. The corner construction element 204″ may be the same as the corner construction element 204 described above, except that the inside surface 2042″ of the corner construction element 204″ defines a curved surface. An additional facing layer may be provided on the inside surface 2042″.

FIG. 34 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 205. The corner construction element 205 may have any desired radius, e.g., ranging from about 6 inches to about 30 feet, and may have facing layers 2056 on the inside and outside curved surfaces (corner-forming surfaces, which are not separately labeled in this embodiment) of the body 2050, which may be, e.g., of foam material or solid polymer material as described above. As with the corner construction elements 202 described above, studs 104 are connected to the corner construction element 206 by passing fasteners 108 through the studs 104 and into fastener-engaging elements 2022. Although not depicted in FIG. 23 , the corner construction element 205 may have wing portions as described above in connection with the corner construction elements 202, extending from the outside curved surface and/or the inside curved surface, or the inside facing layer 2066 and/or the outside facing layer 2066. The corner construction element 206 may be provided in multiple sections as described above in connection with FIGS. 20 and 23-27 .

FIG. 35 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 206. The corner construction element 206 is similar to the corner construction element 205 described above in conjunction with FIG. 34 , except that hollow sections 2062 are included within the corner construction element 206. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 , the corner construction element 206 includes a plurality of webs 2060 that define end walls including stud attachment surfaces, an inner wall, and an outer wall. Additional webs, not depicted here, may be provided, e.g., between the inner wall and the outer wall, and/or between the inner wall and the end walls, and/or between the outer wall and the end walls. The webs 2060 may be provided in any desired number and/or configuration. For example, rather than defining approximately square hollow sections 2062 as shown, the webs 2060 may be in a repeating “W” configuration that defines approximately triangular hollow sections 2062. As described above, such a “W” configuration that defines approximately triangular hollow sections can provide a strength advantage, and/or an acoustic advantage (e.g., tapping on a construction element with such a “W” configuration may not produce as much of a “hollow” or “drum” sound as tapping on a construction element with square hollow sections). Additionally, as also described above, the webs 2060 may have different thicknesses, and the thickness may be determined according to one or more of various factors.

FIG. 36 is a plan view of an assembled wall structure including a corner construction element 207. The corner construction element 207 comprises studs 104′, to which are attached curved wall elements 2072 and 2074. The end-most studs 104′ are “fastener strips” in this embodiment. The curved wall elements 2072 and 2074 may be paper material, metal, wood, fiberglass, carbon-fiber material, plastic material such as PVC or vinyl, or a composite of any such materials. The curved wall elements 2072 and 2074 may be cut from a cylindrical tube of material, such as a cylindrical paperboard tube commonly known for forming concrete cylinders, such as Sonotube®. The curved wall elements 2072 and 2074 may be attached to the studs 104′ by any suitable fasteners such as staples, nails, screws, tape or adhesive.

The studs 104′ may be of wood, metal, fiberglass, carbon-fiber material, plastic material such as PVC or vinyl, or a composite of any such materials. As depicted, the studs 104′ may have a different width, such as a greater width, than the studs 104 to compensate for the curved wall elements 2072 and 2074 typically being thinner than the wall panels 1062 and 1064.

Although the corner construction elements 205-207 are shown with a relatively large radius, the may have an internal radius as small as about 2 inches. A typical maximum radius may be up to about several feet, or up to 10 feet or even up to about 30 feet or more. The radius may, for example, be any radius from 2 inches to 30 feet, in increments of ⅛″. Additionally, although the corner construction elements 205-206 are shown with facing layers 2056 and 2066, respectively, the facing layers may be omitted.

Although not depicted in FIGS. 34-36 , the corner construction elements 205-207 may have wing portions as described above in connection with the corner construction elements 202, on the outside surface and/or the inside surface.

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the corner construction element 207. A top plate 1042 and a bottom plate 1044 are attached to ends of the studs 104′. In this figure, the curved wall elements 2072 and 2074 are omitted so that the other elements may more easily be seen. Like the studs 104′, the top plate 1042 and the bottom plate 1044 may be of wood, metal, fiberglass, carbon-fiber material, plastic material such as PVC or vinyl, or a composite of any such materials. In some embodiments, the top plate 1042 and the bottom plate 1044 may be cut from plywood, possibly being formed of two or more layers of plywood for greater strength and stability.

Although the corner construction element 207 is shown to match walls oriented at 90° relative to each other, it may be altered to match walls oriented at any other angle relative to each other.

All of the corner construction elements and the end cap construction elements may exist as fully formed elements prior to attachment to wall structures such as stud wall frames.

Those skilled in the constructions arts will appreciate that various ones of the features described above in the different embodiments can be combined with each other. For example, although not explicitly depicted for each embodiment, any of the above-described construction elements may include recesses 2028 as described above in connection with various embodiments and/or may include a facing layer 2026 as described above in connection with various embodiments, and/or may include wing portions 2029 as described above in connection with various embodiments.

Additionally, although multiple-section corner construction elements have been described with two sections in various embodiments above, it will be appreciated that corner construction elements with three or more sections are also possible.

Although the drawings depict wall structures having vertically extending studs, the construction elements may also be installed in other orientations. For example, a corner construction element according to any of the above-described embodiments may be installed where an overhead ceiling surface meets a vertical or slanted surface, such as in a stairwell. As another example, an end cap construction element according to any of the above-described embodiments may be installed on the overhead surface of a doorway or window opening.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, these embodiments should be viewed as illustrative and not limiting. Various changes, substitutes, improvements or the like are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention.

For example, although fastener-engaging elements 2022 and/or fasteners 108 are provided in some embodiments described above for attaching the construction elements to studs 104, in other embodiments the construction elements may be attached to studs 104 by construction adhesive or the like.

As another example, in addition to or instead of providing the construction elements in multiple sections that assemble vertically end to end as described in some embodiments above, the construction elements may be provided in multiple sections that assemble horizontally side to side. This can be particularly advantage in the context of construction elements having a relatively large radius, such as those shown in FIGS. 34 and 35 , for example if the radius is two feet or more (but not limited to this case). The horizontally assembled elements may be attached together using one or more of the structures and/or methods described above, such as adhesive, keys engaged in slots, screws or nails installed in a “toenail” configuration, corrugated nails, dowels or other protrusions on one section that insert into corresponding recesses of another section, or the like. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A construction element for forming a corner at which two building surfaces join, the surfaces comprising wall panels attached to framing studs, the construction element comprising: a body including: an outer corner-forming surface that is shaped to extend, in a cross-sectional view, between two separate first wall panels, such that ends of the outer corner-forming surface, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, substantially match respective corners of the first wall panels, the outer corner-forming surface being curved and having a constant radius over a majority of a length of the outer corner-forming surface; stud attachment surfaces that are connected to the outer corner-forming surface; and an inner corner-forming surface that is connected to the stud attachment surfaces, and is shaped to extend, in a cross-sectional view, between two separate second wall panels, different from the first wall panels, such that ends of the inner corner-forming surface, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, substantially match respective corners of the second wall panels, the inner corner-forming surface being curved and having a constant radius over a majority of a length of the inner corner-forming surface, wherein the construction element is of polymer material, and exists as a fully formed element prior to attachment to the framing studs, and a radius of the outer corner-forming surface is at least 12 inches.
 2. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the stud attachment surfaces are at an angle of 90° to each other.
 3. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the stud attachment surfaces are at an angle of 45° to each other.
 4. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the body is of solid polymer material.
 5. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the radius of the outer corner-forming surface is at most 30 inches.
 6. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the radius of the outer corner-forming surface is at most 30 feet.
 7. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a plurality of sections that are configured to be placed end to end and connected together.
 8. The construction element of claim 7, further comprising one or more structures configured to align the sections with each other and/or connect the sections together.
 9. The construction element of claim 1, wherein the body includes one or more hollow sections extending in a longitudinal direction of the body.
 10. A wall structure, comprising: a plurality of framing studs; a plurality of wall panels connected to the framing studs to define at least two separate wall surfaces; and the construction element of claim 1, wherein the construction element forms a corner of an interior wall of a building, and the stud attachment surfaces are attached to separate ones of the studs.
 11. A method of using a construction element to form a corner at which two building surfaces join, the surfaces being surfaces of wall panels attached to framing studs, the construction element comprising a body including: an outer corner-forming surface that is shaped to extend, in a cross-sectional view, between two separate first wall panels, such that ends of the outer corner-forming surface, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, substantially match respective corners of the first wall panels, the outer corner-forming surface being curved and having a constant radius over a majority of a length of the outer corner-forming surface; and stud attachment surfaces that are connected to the outer corner-forming surface, wherein the body comprises a first section and a second section that are configured to be placed end to end and connected together, the method comprising: attaching each stud attachment surface of first section to an attachment surface of a respective one of the framing studs, the stud attachment surfaces being longer, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, than the attachment surfaces of the framing studs; moving the second section horizontally between (i) an end of the first section and (ii) a floor or a ceiling; and attaching each stud attachment surface of the second section to an attachment surface of a respective one of the framing studs.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the body is of polymer material.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the body is of solid polymer material.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the body includes one or more hollow sections extending in a longitudinal direction of the body.
 15. A method of using a construction element to form a corner at which two building surfaces join, the surfaces being surfaces of wall panels attached to framing studs, the construction element comprising a body including: an outer corner-forming surface that is shaped to extend, in a cross-sectional view, between two separate first wall panels, such that ends of the outer corner-forming surface, as viewed in the cross-sectional view, substantially match respective corners of the first wall panels, the outer corner-forming surface being curved and having a constant radius over a majority of a length of the outer corner-forming surface; and stud attachment surfaces that are connected to the outer corner-forming surface, the method comprising: providing a taper at one end of the body; raising the body to an upright position between a floor and a ceiling; and attaching each stud attachment surface of the body to an attachment surface of a respective one of the framing studs.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the body is of polymer material.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the body is of solid polymer material.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the body includes one or more hollow sections extending in a longitudinal direction of the body. 